


Old Enemy, New Friend

by 1CarinoInu



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Romance, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2016-08-21
Packaged: 2018-08-10 04:17:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7830109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1CarinoInu/pseuds/1CarinoInu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What would you do if something from your past that you thought long gone showed up in your present? Kagome discovers an old ally in the strangest of places and attempts to teach an old dog, new tricks. Hopefully, they can learn to coexist. Rating for some mild violence.<br/>This fic won joint first place in the FA Awards December 2011.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sit Boy!

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the Dokuga_Contest's Puppy Love Challenge on LiveJournal when the Dokuga page was still running. Many thanks for Forthright's years of posting!  
> Un-edited and un-beta'd. Forgive the errors.

Originally Posted September 2011

It had been five years since Kagome Higurashi battled demons in another era. Her friends continued to remember how she was out sick all of the time, almost failing school in the process. Kagome had returned to the future after the Jewel of Four Souls had been returned to its whole form, then made a wish upon it to disappear, making her vanish from the Feudal Era and her friends in the process.

Her friends in the past had understood that it was more than likely to happen, her disappearance upon making the wish. So in preparation for the eventuality, she gathered all those she had considered as closest friends and said her goodbyes before making the final wish.

She was grateful she had. The sense of closure had made it easier for her to transition back into her life in the future. Even leaving Inuyasha, the one being she had thought to love, wasn't as painful as she had thought it would be.

And she had made a good life for herself. Once she had returned from her adventures on the other side of the well, Kagome poured her heart into making excellent grades in High School and graduated in the top 5 of her class. From there, she had gone to college and graduated with a degree in Psychology.

Kind of ironic when you think of what people would say if Kagome told them about meeting an Inu Hanyou, and many other demons that people had thought to be subjects of stories to scare children into submission.

But her time in that era led her to understand so much more about people in general, and her genuinely sympathetic nature wanted to help those in need. Besides, she owned her own office and made her own hours. It wasn't long before she had enough money save up to buy herself an apartment close to her office.

She seemed to have everything a girl her age could want. She had a good career with a stable income and a home to call her own.

But she was lonely.

Sure, she had tried dating but after spending a little over a year with such delicious examples of male physiques, it was a tough act to follow! But Kagome was reasonable and did try to not "judge a book by its cover" but it was hard. It didn't help that her friends continued to foist Hojo on her as well, so she eventually sat those friends down and laid down the law. No more blind dates and no more set ups.

Eventually, she decided it was best that she take a break from the dating scene and maybe get herself a pet. So, with that thought in mind Kagome grabbed her purse one afternoon and the address to the closest shelter for animals and got into her little Honda Civic to adopt her first pet.

The day was cool, which was not uncommon for that time of year, and Kagome was grateful she had dressed accordingly. She enjoyed the early fall and the coolness it brought. The best part was the changing of the leaves from green to browns, gold's and oranges.

Kagome drove to her local Animal Shelter and entered it with the hopes of being able to take home a companion. The front office was done with white floors and walls, while any other surfaces were black. It was very clean which was surprising for a facility that depended on donations and adoption fees to run it.

Walking up to the front counter where a young male sat, Kagome greeted him with a 'Hi' and a wave. The brown-haired boy responded in kind, adding, "Can I help you?"

"I'm actually hoping to adopt a pet," Kagome replied.

"Wonderful! Did you have anything in mind? A cat? Maybe a dog? We even have a couple of birds and ferrets somewhere out there if you're interested," the young man told her. "Oh, by the way. My name is Kiyoshi," he introduced as he held his hand out to shake hers.

"Kagome," she replied in kind.

"Well Kagome," he said as he grabbed a clipboard with forms on it, "follow me," he told her as they walked through a series of doors to a large open back room where the telltale sounds of dogs could be heard. The room had a series of permanent kennels with fenced-in fronts and doors. To the rear of each kennel were openings to the outdoors that looked like they could be closed to fend off the cold of the night. Each kennel had one or two animals, depending on size and breed. Off to the side was another room that separated the dogs from the cats and other smaller animals that didn't need as much space.

All in all it was a very clean facility, not smelling of urine or feces, and very well organized. Kagome was impressed and felt comfortable with the idea of adopting from that shelter. She found that she was feeling a pull to the right of where they were currently standing, but she shook it off.

Kagome told Kiyoshi that she wanted to start with the smaller animals and so they made their way to the room off to the side apart from the loud barking of the dogs. She saw all types of cats. There were all different ages, shapes, breeds and colors there and she just wasn't feeling the connection she hoped she would. But not to be discouraged she plugged on and continued to look at the array of other small animals they kept.

She found all sorts of birds of various colors, snakes (she had seen enough in the Feudal Era and was so not going there), and fell in love with a ferret that reminded her of little Shippo. But when she found out how much time and care went into keeping one, she quickly changed her mind.

After exhausting the small animals Kagome made her way to the dog kennels. She really hadn't planned on a dog but for some reason she was being drawn there. There was a literal pull to a kennel towards the back of the warehouse and she let the feeling draw her in. What she discovered there in the furthest kennel was a beautiful white dog with long ears and a long tail.

The animal lay there with eyes open, very much aware of the human that stood in front of its jail. A jail was exactly what it was to the demon housed within. Yes, it knew exactly who he was. He also recognized the female that stood there looking at him with adoration in her cobalt eyes.

Golden eyes stared at deep blue, each of them wondering how the other could be there.

Kagome called for Kiyoshi who walked up to where she stood. The dog stood and growled baring its teeth when the male approached, causing Kagome to respond instantly.

"Sesshomaru! Sit boy!"


	2. Roll Over

"Sesshomaru! Sit, boy!" Kagome ordered firmly.

The white dog stopped growling at the offending male standing too close to the female that had drawn his attention and looked at her with golden eyes wide and a tilt of its head.

'You dare order this Sesshomaru to sit like a pup barely weaned?'

"You heard me, boy! Sit!" she once again instructed with a tinge of hardness to her voice.

Sesshomaru was shocked by the temerity of the onna in front of him. The fact that she was the one he had once known as Inuyasha's wench and was still alive surprised the usually stoic being. There was no mistaking her scent or her aura of purity that flared around her in uncontrolled waves.

'I see some things haven't changed,' Sesshomaru thought to himself with an internal chuckle.

Deciding to humor the wench the large white dog sat down gently, an air of superiority surrounding him.

Kiyoshi was amazed. "How did you get him to respond like that? And where did you come up with that name?" he asked truly dumbfounded.

"I've dealt with my share of dogs in my time," she remarked watching every move Sesshomaru made, watching as he snorted in a canine manner at her answer. "I have ways of dealing with unruly puppies," she directed at the one sitting in the cage as she tugged at the necklace of beads at her throat.

The threat was not lost on Sesshomaru.

"And the name? Well, it just seemed to fit him," Kagome decided on the fly.

"But that dog has been impossible! No one has ever been able to approach him without being growled or snapped at. He was scheduled to be euthanized this weekend if he didn't get adopted this week," Kiyoshi explained to her.

"He's mine!" came the surprisingly strong response from Kagome, shocking not only Kiyoshi but Sesshomaru as well. Her aura grew with her adamant statement making Sesshomaru step back a little.

'That was interesting,' thought the once demon Lord of the West. 'I wonder…'

Before he pondered further, Kagome went to open the cage door to let Sesshomaru out but found it locked.

"Before we let him out, I need you to fill out this paperwork and liability release forms," Kiyoshi said pointing at the clipboard he held. He then directed her back to the front where they had originally started.

Kagome followed Kiyoshi towards the front office and before closing the door behind her, Kagome stopped and looked back to Sesshomaru and said, "You're coming home with me. I hope you are grateful that I just saved your life. That's one debt less that I owe you." Then she closed the door behind her leaving the inu to ponder her last comment.

It was true; Sesshomaru had saved her life on a number of occasions in the Feudal Era. 'How long has it been?' he asked himself. It had to have been over 500 years. 'How is it that she is still alive? She doesn't look much older than the last time this one had seen her during the battle with Naraku.'

Sesshomaru continued to contemplate his situation. It was true that he had become very difficult to manage for the keepers at the shelter. He wanted nothing to do with the humans that were there and wanted to just fade out of existence. Hearing that he was going to be put to sleep in a matter of days didn't really bother him. He was invulnerable to most poisons.

'It will be interesting to see what the miko will do with me once she has me in her clutches,' he thought to himself. If only I could get out of this form.'

Sesshomaru was surprisingly content with his current lot in life. While he wasn't the Lord of his lands anymore no thanks to the growing population of humanity and their ability to create weapons of great destruction, he felt a sense of peace at being able to move freely and travel the world over the many hundreds of years.

Unfortunately, living in the current form was not of his choosing. A dark miko had put a spell on him when he refused her 'advances'. She was a bitter old hag and felt that he needed to learn a lesson in humility by changing him into a smaller version of his true form and binding his youki keeping him from being able to change back to his human or full inu form. It also kept other beings from being able to sense who he was. With humanity's growing affection of keeping dogs as pets, she felt this was a perfect opportunity.

Well, she was wrong.

Sesshomaru went out of his way to keep from the human population as much as possible. He kept close to his home and lands until humans finally overtook the castle. Without their lord to defend them the remaining residents were lost succumbing to their fates.

The dispossessed demon lord continued to wander the lands of Japan for many years and even traveled to far away lands by stowing away on merchant ships. He saw many new lands and fewer and fewer demons. His youki may have been bound but he could still sense the others.

He had only returned to the country of his birth a few years ago. It was by dumb luck that a dogcatcher got a hold of him bringing him to where he is today.

Was it fate that brought him here? Because here he was being 'adopted' by the miko that had once traveled with his brother for years and the one who had assisted in the eventual defeat of Naraku.

The sound of a door opening awakened him from his reverie and before he knew it a makeshift rope collar and leash had been placed on him.

Kagome kneeled before him, her blue eyes level with his gold ones as she spoke gently, "Come along Sesshomaru. Time to take you to your new home."

Sesshomaru stood and followed the onna from his past, listening as the boy Kiyoshi asked, "Do you know this dog?"

"He just reminds me of someone I knew a long time ago," she told the shelter attendant. He seemed satisfied with that answer and allowed the girl and her new dog to pass by, giving wide berth to the animal that had been a thorn in the shelter's side since he had shown up.

"Good luck with that mutt," Kiyoshi mumbled, earning a low growl and a baring of sharp fangs from the subject of his insult.

"Sesshomaru," Kagome called, taking the attention off of the stupid human. "Come. I'm going to take you home and teach you some new tricks," she said as she walked him out of the shelter. I think the first one we'll work on is roll over!"

Sesshomaru, former demon Lord and Inu Daiyoukai of the Western Lands of Japan had just been relegated to the position of domesticated pet to a ningen onna who was going to 'teach' him tricks.

'We'll see who teaches who a trick or two,' the inu thought to himself as Kagome led him to her car.


	3. Shake

Kagome drove along the city streets of Tokyo thinking about her latest acquisition and wondered to herself 'What the heck have I done?'

Sure she had intended on adopting a pet to keep her company and to possibly save an animal from a terrible fate. However, she hadn't planned on adopting the large dog that currently sat stiffly in the back seat of her compact car. She reasoned that she had save him from being put to sleep that weekend and in turn relieving her from part of her debt to Sesshomaru. But she was curious about a few things; starting with why he was in the form he was in.

That begged the question, "Sesshomaru? Why are you in that form?"

The resulting snort from the canine in the back didn't really answer her question and only confused her more. "I'm guessing you ran into some difficulty some time in your life?" A growl was her response.

"Ah, I see. You must have upset some dark miko, or some demon with more power than yourself?" she pushed, knowing she had hit a nerve when the growls became constant.

"Alright, alright! No need to get your fur in a twist! Geesh, I was just trying to understand what happened to you!" she barked back at him all the while trying to pay attention to the busy street in front of her. No sense in losing her focus on the road and killing the two of them so early in their renewed acquaintance.

Turning into the parking lot of a local pet store, Kagome parked and turned off her car. She looked at Sesshomaru by way of her rear-view mirror. "Okay, now we're going to the pet store to pick up some things to make you more comfortable while you stay with me. Can you behave for me and not growl at everyone that walks nearby?" Her response was a curt nod.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru. Now let's go!" she chimed as she exited the car and flipped the latch for the seat so her 'dog' could get out of the car. Grabbing his makeshift leash, Kagome noticed his slight growl at her. "I know you don't like the leash, but here it is required on all dogs. Do you want them to take you away from me so soon?"

He stared at her as if he were truly thinking about it and then turned away as if resigned. Kagome seemed to understand and grabbed her purse, making sure she had her keys and closed the door checking to see that it was securely locked. With purse in arm and dog on leash she walked into the pet store, Sesshomaru in the lead.

'Hm, even 500 years later Sesshomaru still thinks he's the Alpha,' Kagome thought to herself.

As Kagome and Sesshomaru stepped into the store both were overwhelmed by the smells in the store. Between the animals and their unique smells and the abundance of products stored within the small space, it made both dog and girl dizzy.

Sesshomaru closely followed the onna as she ooed and ahh'd at different pet items. He really hated the collar and leash and hoped that Kagome would take them off when they got to her home. Maybe if he made a big enough fuss about it later on…..he smiled at that thought to himself. However she must have read his mind because before he knew it, Kagome was looking at collars and leashes to replace the one he was currently wearing.

"Hey Sesshomaru. Here's a black collar with little yellow crescent moons on it. See?" she asked as she put it in front of his muzzle. He could really care less.

"Yeah, they're not blue crescents, but honestly I think this is the best collar out of all of them. Unless you prefer the pink one here," she pointed to a hot pink collar with little white bones on it. "Or this black one with spikes?" she showed it to him.

Sesshomaru just turned away, really not caring. Although, if she happened to pick up that pink one it was going to die at the hands of his teeth….or he'd find a way to bury it somewhere never to be seen from again.

Kagome made her choice and then pulled at Sesshomaru's leash as she made her way down the aisle only to stop at a cordoned off area where puppy training was taking place.

"Look Sesshomaru! Puppy training!" she cooed as she watched owners and their various breeds work on early techniques. "They're teaching how to shake!" The little dogs enthralled the girl.

Sesshomaru had enough and was ready to move on so he gently pulled at the leash towards another section of the store that seemed to have a wonderful aroma emanating from it. "Alright, Sesshomaru. I get it, I get it."

She let the dog lead her figuring he had an agenda behind the direction. She was not wrong. He led her right to the dog treat aisle.

There were chew toys and pig ears and various cookies as far as the eye could see. She looked at Sesshomaru who seemed to have a bit of a dazed look on his furry face. 'Could it be? Was he a snacker?'

"Sesshomaru?" The dog looked up after the second call from the girl. "I'm guessing you would like me to pick up a special treat, hmm?"

Amenable to the suggestion, the previously known demon lord made a beeline to the pig's ears, sniffing at each different brand and snorting at the ones that were not acceptable. Finding the ones he wanted he gently picked up a bag in his large maw and brought it to her letting Kagome take it to be purchased.

Kagome took the bag and looked at the price comparing it to the others and made an unlady-like snort before saying, "Well I see you have expensive taste, too." Sighing, "I guess you're worth it. But I expect a trick or two before the week is out!" she challenged with a glint of promise in her eyes.

Why did a shiver just go up his back?


	4. Sic Em!

Kagome drove up to the apartment building she lived in and pulled into the secured garage to her personal spot. She was grateful that when she purchased her home that it came with assigned parking so she wouldn't have to worry about parking on the street and dealing with random availability. She turned off her car and got out, letting Sesshomaru out of the car as well.

"Can I trust you to follow me without holding your leash, Sesshomaru?" she asked the dog standing next to her beside the car, oblivious of the stares from her neighbors in the parking garage. "I need both hands to carry all of your food and items and really don't want to have to make two trips."

The two gentlemen that had arrived not long after Kagome had parked in their space behind her. They were a couple and had been friendly to the new occupant on their floor. They thought her quite charming and very intelligent, which had been confirmed by her profession. However seeing her talk openly to a large white dog had them rethinking her sanity.

Keeping their distance, they watched as the girl laden with bags and her purse managed to get her car shut and locked and walked off towards the elevators. Following not far behind was a large dog, about the size and look of a Newfoundland, but in solid white instead of the breed's typical black.

Kagome and her dog loaded the elevator, completely unaware that they were being watched.

"She got a dog. I had a feeling she was lonely, but really? That dog is a beast!" one of the males told the other.

"Well, you figure if he's loyal enough to her and she treats him well enough, she can sic 'em on any undesirables. At least she'll be safe," the other replied.

Meanwhile, Kagome and her companion took the elevator to the first floor of the building, exiting when the doors opened. Kagome walked down the hall that had five doors on each side, walking to apartment E on the very end. Kagome placed her bags on the floor allowing her to dig in her purse to get her keys and unlock the door.

Finding her keys, she put the key in the lock of the door and turned to unlock bolt and then pulled the key to do the same for the doorknob. It was annoying, but Souta had insisted on the double lock.

Her brother had hated the idea of Kagome leaving the shrine. A single woman living alone was not appropriate in his eyes and he felt that she needed to stay at home until she married. Who would've known her little brother was so old-fashioned? But Kagome loved him in spite of it, knowing that he was looking out for her. He came to visit her every other week whenever he wasn't in school or working.

Kagome pushed her door open allowing Sesshomaru to walk in before her while she gathered her packages and walked in.

Sesshomaru's first impression of the miko's living space was that it was neat and clean. Her lovely scent permeated the space making it obvious that it was hers and was unmarred by another's scent. For some reason that comforted him.

He walked from the front entrance noting that just a few feet and to the right was a small kitchenette, ample for a single person. Going straight led directly to an open living space that held a worn flower patterned couch facing left with a small low table in front of it. Further to the left was an entertainment unit that sat against the far wall with a small television and stereo. To the right of the unit was a large bookcase filled with various textbooks and other reading materials. Sesshomaru walked in front of the couch to what looked like a large window to look out and found that it was actually a door.

Kagome walked up behind him after having placed her bags on the dining table on the opposite side of the couch. "Ah, I see you've discovered my secret garden," she told him as she pulled the mesh drapes to the side letting him see the small space she had outside.

"This is one of the reasons I picked this place," she said as she unlocked the sliding door and opened it allowing Sesshomaru to walk down the small step to the outside while she followed. It was an enclosed space about one hundred square feet with a solid wood fence surrounding it for security and privacy. Kagome had large rectangular planters that sat on the ground against the fence that had various blends of flower and herbs in each of them. She also had large potted ficus trees in each of the two corners that gave a little shade from the afternoon sun.

Sesshomaru took in the little yard area that Kagome had turned into a small oasis. All it needed was a pool of water or a waterfall and it would be perfect. But here, in the middle of the city, was a little bit of the country created by the young woman, and he gave her credit for her ingenuity.

"I don't know what you would prefer but I was thinking either you could stay here during the day while I work or you could come to the office with me," Kagome told him as Sesshomaru continued to sniff at and explore her garden.

Not really expecting him to answer, Kagome wasn't sure how to figure out what his preference was. While staying holed up in her office wouldn't be exciting, staying home all day everyday wasn't optimal either. Then an idea came to her.

"Hey Sesshomaru? I had a thought." Kagome waited for the big dog to turn her way. When she had his attention she continued. "What if we alternated days? You know, stay here one day, then come to the office with me on the next and alternate?" She waited while he seemed to think about it. When he gave her a decisive nod in agreement she crowed, "Great! We'll start tomorrow! I still have to get a doggy door for the slider so you can come out here and go back in the house as you wish. I don't want you to feel as if you are stuck in one place all of the time."

Content with her decision she went back into the house leaving Sesshomaru to his own devices outside. He seemed content to spend time outside under her trees.


	5. Jumping through hoops

Once Kagome and Sesshomaru built a routine, things seemed to fall into place. Kagome was able to understand her stoic canine companion through his subtle body language while he kept basically to himself and ignored her. She would ask yes or no questions and he would nod or shake his head…. when he felt it was necessary. Time had not changed him much. He was still a being of few words.

Kagome didn't think they'd really get along very well even in his current form and under the circumstances as they were. The once-demon lord still managed to command an air of superiority that amazed the girl. How was it that even though he was not in a humanoid form was he able to still act like he owned the world and make her feel that she were subservient to him? She had purchased books on dog training to try to tame her beast, but he still managed to control her rather than the other way around.

From Sesshomaru's perspective, he enjoyed watching the girl jump through hoops to try to control him and be the alpha of their little pack. That was definitely not going to happen. They had a silent understanding and it seemed to work for now.

But one night changed everything.

Kagome's office was situated in a fairly decent part of town. She was on the 6th floor of a large office building that held underground parking had one attendant that had doubled as security. The evenings were getting darker earlier as summer turned into fall and the parking area lighting timer hadn't been adjusted yet, making it dark when she left in the evenings.

Kagome exited her office, locking the door for the night before making her way to the elevator. She stood in silence while thoughts of what Sesshomaru did to pass the day ran through her mind as she rode the elevator to the basement where her car was parked. When the doors of the elevator car opened Kagome automatically exited and walked to the location of her car, unaware of what waited for her.

Before she knew what hit her, Kagome was grabbed from behind while a large hand with a musky cloth pulled over her mouth to quiet her screams. The other arm wrapped around her body pinning her arms to her sides before she could do her attacker any harm.

Kagome's survival instincts kicked in and thanks to the time she spent fighting demons in the Feudal Era, she managed to stomp her heel in her attacker's foot causing him to temporarily loosen his grip on her. Kagome quickly and painfully jabbed an elbow into the assailant's stomach causing him to double over in pain, giving her the opportunity to let loose a scream of help to anyone who might be there.

It was fortunate that the security guard had heard her and came running quickly to her rescue. With his gun in his shaking hand, shouting, "don't move a muscle" he tried his best to be brave under the circumstances as he cornered the attacker. The poor guard was shaking as he pulled out his walkie-talkie to contact the local authorities, letting them know that a female had been assaulted and he had the criminal but needed back up. Immediately.

Within 30 minutes, the boys in blue were there and had handcuffed the suspect while reading him his rights. A paramedic had seen to Kagome, just in case she had been hurt. Kagome sat on the bumper of the emergency vehicle with a blanket wrapped around her as she sipped a hot cup of coffee that had magically appeared in her hand while her nerves settled.

A female officer by the name of Officer Naoko had asked her questions about her attack, making sure Kagome was okay and hadn't suffered more than a few scrapes and a bruise or two. Naoko had handed Kagome her business card saying she would be in touch in a week or two to call her in for the trial.

When Kagome finally arrived home that night, she was over four hours late.

Sesshomaru had been beside himself with worry. Kagome was never home late from work. She was a creature of habit and for her to do something so out of her routine as be late from work had him anxious. What would happen to him if something happened to her? They hadn't discovered the solution to the curse yet, but he was absolutely positive that she was the key. If something happened to Kagome before then….?

It left him feeling strangely fearful.

Sesshomaru heard the sound of keys turning in the locks of the front door. 'Where has she been?'

The door opened to reveal a haggard looking Kagome. The pinstriped blue dress suit and crisp white blouse she had left the apartment in looked more rumpled than normal.

'What happened to her? This is unlike Kagome to look so worn down after a day at work. Where has she been?'

Sesshomaru slowly approached the female and sat in front of her with his head cocked to the side as if to say 'Are you okay?' He scented her and noticed that she was covered in another musky scent. A male's scent.

Kagome walked past the inu to set her purse and keys on the dining table and then walked to her room and began stripping, completely ignoring the dog that followed closely by. She would have normally shoved him out of her room for privacy, but her mind was elsewhere at the moment and it worried the demon.

Normally Sesshomaru wouldn't care about anyone but himself. He had always been alone since the passing of his Father. Inuyasha had been around, but they never had breached the gap that had grown between them. Never had they been brothers nor had they ever been close. But this human, Kagome, had become closer to him than any being ever had. Even Rin.

It unnerved Sesshomaru that Kagome didn't greet him as she usually did, with a ruffle of his fur and a scratch between the ears. This Kagome concerned him and it was not a feeling he was used to.

Seeing her go about her shower with the bathroom door left open, Sesshomaru decided to wait outside her bedroom door to give the girl some privacy. He waited until the shower turned off and allowed Kagome some time to herself as she went about drying and dressing for the evening.

'Has she eaten?' He seriously doubted it and it bothered him even more. She was usually ravenous by the time she got home from work and for her to skip the evening meal was unheard of.

He continued to listen and wait as he heard the noises in the bedroom die down. When the light in her room turned off and the sounds stopped, Sesshomaru got up from his post at her door and walked into the room to see Kagome in her bed in a fetal position under the bedcovers. What stopped him in his tracks was the scent of tears.

Sesshomaru did something that he never had done before and jumped up on the bed. He slowly approached the sobbing girl and softly lay down in front of her so his body was close, his face close to hers. He then deliberately licked the tears from her face but stopped as soon as her arms surrounded him in a hug.

Sesshomaru stayed that way as her tears died and her breathing slowed as she fell asleep. He stayed with her throughout the night, a silently watchful sentinel.


	6. Play dead

The morning dawned cold and gray. Sounds of cars could be heard through Kagome's apartment windows as they drove through the rain-soaked streets.

Kagome lay in her bed quietly and without movement, not really wanting to begin her day. 'What do I do know?' she wondered. 'I really don't feel that I will do anyone good if I go into work today.'

Making a decision, Kagome rose from her bed and slipped on her white fuzzy slippers and matching robe to battle the cold of her apartment, and then walked out of her room to the kitchen where her phone sat. She picked up her phone and punched in several digits and waited for the person on the other side to answer.

"Hi Sakura? It's Kagome," she began. "Hey, you know how you said you'd cover for me if I ever needed a day or two off?" she asked. After hearing her friends confirming reply she asked, "Is it too much for you to cover for me today and tomorrow? I know it's short notice but something has come up and I need to deal with it." Sakura replied that she would have no problem covering for her for that day and the next.

Kagome sighed, thankful that she caught her friend on a good day, "Thanks, I owe you big!" and proceeded to explain her caseload for the next two days and told her she would have her answering service call her patients with the changes and re-schedule any that felt they would wait on her.

Kagome finished her call with Sakura and then called her answering service to make the other arrangements for the next two days.

While Kagome was distracted with her calls, Sesshomaru had already jumped down from Kagome's bed after having a sleepless night watching over her. To him, she was still not herself and it bothered him. What had happened the nigh before to cause such a change in the girl? And for her to basically call in sick was unheard of! He needed to find out what was wrong with her, but how?

She still hadn't acknowledged the demon's presence even when he was practically under foot. He could have ed dead and she wouldn't have noticed and it was really starting to worry the stoic canine.

Kagome made another call, this time to her mother. "Momma, it's me. Can I come over," and then she began to cry as she tried to talk to her mother. "I-I'll be over as soon as I get d-d-drressed!" she sobbed out and then hung up the phone.

She must have still had the presence of mind that there was another being she was responsible to since she went to the fridge to get the pre-packaged raw meat she had set aside for Sesshomaru and dumped it in a fresh bowl before she ran to her room to dress.

Not one to waste food and not sure when he would eat next under the circumstances, Sesshomaru quickly ate the food she left him, licking the bowl cleanly when he was finished. He then followed her scent into her room and practically collided with the teary-eyed female as she was leaving the room.

"Oh! Sesshomaru! I'm sorry but I'm going to the shrine to see my mom," she explained as she made her way to the couch to slip on some socks and boots. Once they were on, she looked at the dog in front of her as he gave her a questioning cock to his head and she sighed and looked to the ground. She looked back at him and asked, "Do you want to come with me? There's plenty of space and grounds to run around. Maybe a tree to climb in? Inuyasha loved the trees at the shrine," she mused and that earned her a growl. "Okay, maybe no tree climbing," she chuckled albeit a little hollowly.

She got up off the couch and walked to her entryway to gather her coat and Sesshomaru's leash. "You coming?" she called as she took a deep breath and unlocked her door and slowly poked her head out the door.

It had taken Kagome twice as long to make it to her mother's house. It wasn't because of the weather or accidents on the road or anything external that caused her delay. Her constant looking around and checking and double-checking to see if someone was following her hindered her from just making it from her door to the garage and the garage to her car.

Sesshomaru at one point had to nudge her with his nose to get her to move on. Even he was getting frustrated with the woman. But deep down, he knew something was bothering her and it in turn bothered him. What had caused her to be so fearful?

The leash had never been attached and Sesshomaru, who would have taken full advantage to run around the spacious shrine grounds and explore the area that had so much history, decided to stay close to Kagome. He had hoped the girl would speak to her mother about what was going on with her.

When they had arrived Kagome had run into her mother's arms in tears over her ordeal from the night before. Sesshomaru kept close by and aware of his surroundings. He noticed the scents that filled the clean yet humble home. There were two others, males, who lived within the dwelling. The scent of Kagome's mother was the strongest since she seemed to spend the most time within the building's walls.

He continued to follow Kagome closely as her mother ushered her to the kitchen where a pot of recently brewed tea sat. She sat the girl down at the table and turned to go prepare a light meal for her daughter when she noticed the large white beast that made himself at home on the floor next to Kagome, sitting alertly.

"Well, who do we have here?" Hitomi asked as she looked at the furry beast.

Sniffling from her recent bout of tears, Kagome told her mother the story of how she met Sesshomaru and who and what he really was. Hitomi slowly approached him and slowly brought her hand up to him so he could scent her, like she would any unfamiliar but trained dog. He looked at the hand then looked at Kagome with a look like "what am I supposed to do with that?"

Kagome laughed and ruffled his fur gently and said, "She's giving you the chance to scent her so you'll know her Sesshomaru. This is what humans do when they are approaching an unfamiliar dog."

Deciding that Sesshomaru wasn't interested in anything that Hitomi had to offer, she shrugged and sat down at the table with her daughter to find out what was on her mind.

After spending the next two hours of explaining to her mother how Sesshomaru came into her life and then the incident from the night before, Kagome found that she was exhausted. Her body gave away signs of her fatigue when she slouched over the table and put her head down.

"Kagome, honey. Why don't you go up to your old room and take a nap?" her mother offered.

Kagome nodded and said nothing as she got up from the table and chair and dragged herself up the stairs, through the hallway and dropped unceremoniously onto the bed.

Hitomi continued to sit at the dining room table and turned away from where her daughter had exited the room and looked at the dog that quite reluctantly continued to sit there. The look on his face was one of hesitance as he looked at her in askance.

"You can follow after her, Sesshomaru, but first, can I have your word that you won't let her go back to work alone and that you'll stay close to her?" Hitomi asked the big white dog. "Just until she's able to work through the trauma she went through?"

Sesshomaru knew what Kagome's mother was asking and honestly, he had no problem keeping an eye on her after her ordeal. He felt responsible that she had been attacked and that he had not been there that day, even though it wasn't his scheduled day to go with her.

'I will not leave her alone again,' thought the demon lord. 'There are many dangers in this world that I must protect her from.' He made the decision to be her constant shadow.

Hitomi stared at the dog expectantly, not really sure the he understood her or not. She knew Kagome thought the dog was Inuyasha's older half-brother from the past, but she was seriously beginning to wonder about her daughter's sanity. When the dog gave a distinctive nod in assent, it had surprised her. Maybe he was what Kagome had said.

Sesshomaru left Kagome's mother to pad his way up the stairs and scented the girl out, discovering her in a brightly painted pink room.

'Rin would have loved this room,' he thought as he stared at the stuffed animals that lined her bed, surrounding the dark-haired girl lying on it. There were many books of various subjects on a desk to the left of the bed and posters of various musical artists of the time.

Sesshomaru stood on his hind legs as he propped up on the bed and gently removed the stuffed animals from the bed, one by one, so that there was enough space for him to lay with her. Once there was enough room, he nudged the girl so she would move towards the back of the bed and so he could lie down in front of her.

Hitomi had cleaned up the kitchen from Kagome's meal and their tea and decided to check on her daughter. What she found surprised her. There was Kagome lying on her side with her arm around the big white dog, a smile of contentment on her face as she slept.


	7. Drop it!

The following morning Kagome awoke to sounds of chirping birds outside of her window. The sunlight shone through the sheers of the window hangings bathing the room in warmth.

Consciousness came to the girl abruptly when she felt the heat of another body at her back and saw a maroon striped arm over her middle that gently pulled her closer to the form behind her. The feel of what she could only describe as purring flowed from the being through her own body. Kagome rolled over hoping to find a great white dog there but knowing that would not be the case. She discovered a very naked inu lord next to her.

"Holy hell, Sesshomaru! What happened!" she screamed as she jumped out of her bed and away from the alluringly sexy demon male in her bed. Thankfully, he managed to make his way under the covers through the night covering the more male parts of him. Long silver hair surrounded him making the girl envious in its beauty.

The fully humanoid demon lord in her bed scrunched his face in pain from the loud screeching from the onna, causing Kagome to realize she had hurt his ears. Lowering her voice Kagome apologizes, "I'm so sorry for screaming at you, but can you blame me?"

Not a word came from the demon in her bed.

"Um, well, you probably need some clothes. I'll go ask my mom if she has anything left over from dad," she mumbled as she backed her way out of her room, closing the door on her way out.

Kagome leaned her head on the door and sighed. 'What happened? How is it that he's no longer in his dog form? And dang! I forgot how hot he was…is….'

As Kagome rambled in her mind Hitomi approached her distracted daughter by placing her hand on the girls' shoulder, causing said female to jump in fright.

"Ah!" Kagome screamed for the second time that morning. "What is it with the surprises this morning? First Sesshomaru changes back to his humanoid form, now you sneaking up on me…" She stopped as she tried to gather her wits about her and calm her breathing.

"Kagome calm down," her concerned mother soothed as she gathered the shaken girl into her arms. Before she knew it, Kagome burst into tears once again and her mother just held her letting the tears fall.

Hitomi knew that the attack had scared her daughter that much was obvious. But she had a feeling there was more to the outburst than just that and had a feeling it had to do with the demon lord turned dog laying in her room.

Kagome had finally gotten herself under control; a few sniffles and red eyes were all that remained of her recent outburst. "Sorry momma," she mumbled as she pulled herself from her mother's arms and rubbed her eyes.

"Kagome, let's go downstairs and have some breakfast. What does Sesshomaru eat?" Hitomi asked.

"Oh, about Sesshomaru," Kagome remembered. "Do you have any of dad's old clothes left over by any chance?"

Hitomi looked at her daughter in askance as she answered, "I think I kept some, but why?" She obviously missed the 'Sesshomaru changed back to his humanoid form' in Kagome's recent rambling.

In answer to the question, Kagome's bedroom door opened to reveal a half naked demon male. A pink bed sheet wrapped around his waist and rumpled silver locks of hair that fell around his person gave the look of a male that had been satisfied the night before. However, Hitomi knew her daughter and let it pass as she blushed a little at the beautiful bare chested being and said, "I'll be right back." Hitomi began to walk down the hall before turning back to the pair, "You might want to show him how to use the facilities, Kagome. He may want to shower," and turned to complete her task.

Kagome was fidgeting nervously finding the very real human-looking Sesshomaru standing there with nothing but a sheet very distracting. Unable to look at him she practically stuttered out, "Um, uh yeah. The bathroom is this way," and walked two doors down the hall and the opposite side of her room and opened the door.

"I know you've been around this era long enough to probably know how things work in this time, right?" Kagome wouldn't meet his eyes as she kept herself busy gathering a washcloth and towel for him to use.

"Kagome," a rough baritone voice filled the small room catching the girl off guard and causing her to stop what she was doing and stare at the source of the voice.

"S-Sesshomaru?" she asked, blue eyes widened at hearing the voice she hadn't heard in many years, stopping her and her never-ending nervous energy.

"I will be fine, onna. You will calm yourself."

"O-okay. Um, the towels are there…. and there is an extra toothbrush, if you need it," she pointed to the object on the counter. "Uh, I'll let you shower then." Kagome went to leave the small space that seemed to get smaller with the beautiful male standing there with her and turned as she remembered, "I'll place the clothing momma finds here on the counter before you finish." And Kagome made a hasty escape.

Sesshomaru chuckled at the skittish female and gently closed the door behind her.

Hitomi found a pair of gray slacks and a black silk long-sleeved button down shirt that had been her husband's. Burying the memories that came to her mind she pulled the clothes out of the cedar chest lined with mothballs and took them to her daughter.

She found Kagome in her room and handed the clothes to the girl that was sitting on the unmade bed. "Here you go. I hope they fit. Your father wasn't nearly as tall as Sesshomaru, but until you are able to fit him properly these will have to do."

"Thanks mom. I'll put them in the bathroom for him to find."

"Hopefully the cedar and mothball scents aren't too offensive to him. I imagine his nose is a bit sensitive?" Hitomi asked.

"Well, he'll have to deal with it until I get him some other clothing, wont he?" Kagome commented before turning and leaving the room.

Hitomi watched her daughter leave the bedroom before leaving the room herself and making her way downstairs to make some breakfast.

Kagome had left the clothing where Sesshomaru could find them and then took a shower in her mother's bathroom. Fortunately Kagome had left spare clothes at her mother's house for emergencies.

After showering and changing Kagome felt much better and was ready to tackle the day with the newly transformed Sesshomaru. Kagome made her way downstairs and followed her nose to the kitchen where her mother was serving breakfast.

Sesshomaru and Souta were already there sitting at the table. Souta was currently shoveling food in his mouth completely oblivious to the fact that the demon sitting next to him was staring at him.

"Souta! Your manners! We have a guest." Kagome chided him.

Souta swallowed and mumbled a quick 'sorry' before taking another bite.

Kagome took in the demon sitting at the table. The black silk shirt was a stark contrast to the pale skin and moonlight colored hair that hung behind the chair sweeping the floor. The shirt must have been a little short on his arms as the sleeves were rolled up allowing the maroon stripes that wrapped his forearms to be seen. She noted that the shirt seemed a little tight around his shoulders and he had left the top two buttons open to allow a little more freedom of movement.

The charcoal gray pants looked a little on the short side as they rode above his ankles as he sat at the table. She could see a little bit of maroon peeking out around his lower calf. "We definitely need to get you some better fitting clothing, Sesshomaru. We'll go out after we eat, okay?"

"That would be acceptable, Kagome," he replied as he watched her move around the kitchen putting a plate together to eat.

"Are you going to eat?" she asked the demon sitting at the table with only a cup of tea sitting in front of him.

"When we return to your home I will eat. There is no sense in wasting what is already there."

Kagome remembered that she had a large amount of chopped meat in her refrigerator for the dog that was living with her. It figured that he'd still eat raw meat.

"We can stop by my apartment before we go shopping so you can eat," then Kagome changed the subject to the item that had been bugging her all morning. "Sesshomaru? What happened? How did you change?"

"This one has thought on it all morning and is not too sure why I have been allowed to change back," he told them not completely honest with them.

"Hunh. Odd. Well, I guess we should be grateful. It will be easier to communicate with you now," Kagome said smiling.

Kagome sat and ate her meal, chatting with Souta about school and getting up to speed on his progress in soccer. A couple of universities were talking to him about playing for them and giving him scholarship options. Kagome was truly proud of her brother having such opportunities. She had to work while going to college and it was tough. If he could get a full ride, it would make things much easier for him.

While the family talked, the quiet demon lord was lost in his own thoughts. He knew what had changed and why he had transformed. It was just difficult to grasp his feelings on the matter. After discovering that Kagome had been attacked and watching her break down made him realize that he had not been there to protect her. It brought pain within him to discover that he had not been there to prevent her from harm. His inner inu was awaking after having been placed in hibernation over the years, most likely due to the curse.

They were in agreement when it came to Kagome. They wanted to be there for her, wanted to protect her and comfort her, talk to her and hold her.

Love her. That had been the key to breaking the curse.

Oh yes. Sesshomaru, great inu Daiyoukai, Lord of the Western Lands was in love. With a human. Not any human but the woman that had loved and had been in love with his half brother Inuyasha. That had been the key.

But Inuyasha had passed on, lost during the Second World War. It was a horrible way to find out that demons could not survive an atomic bomb. It was a slow painful way to die and Sesshomaru had found the hanyou in a cave just outside of Nagasaki two years after the bombing.

Sesshomaru had kept tabs on Inuyasha over the centuries and would check in on the boy from time-to-time. Even though they were not close he could not deny his pack instincts that drew him to his brother, especially in his time of need.

When he had found the boy dying in the cave, Sesshomaru did all that he could in his dog form to try to make the last few months of Inuyasha's life comfortable. He hunted for him, found water that he would bring to the cave in a pail and brought clothing and blankets that he would steal during the night from neighboring homes. The boy knew who he was and still was the boorish hanyou he always had been, still impolite and ill-mannered even when ill.

When Inuyasha finally succumbed to the radiation poisoning Sesshomaru dug his grave, taking almost an entire week and buried the boy under a nearby tree. Sesshomaru left the area and hadn't been back since.

Since his adoption by Kagome, Sesshomaru observed the girl and her life. She never brought up the hanyou nor had there been any evidence of another male in her life. He could tell that she was still untouched thanks to his very sensitive nose and it made him wonder if she had gotten over the boy from her past.

Thinking about Kagome still pining over Inuyasha made something in his gut wrench and his inner inu growl in anger. She was his!

Completely unaware of what was going on in Sesshomaru's head Kagome called out to him. "Hey Sesshomaru? You ready to go?"

Golden eyes flashed red for a moment and back to gold, startling the girl, "A-are you okay Sesshomaru?"

The demon lord closed his eyes and calmed his inner being by telling him that they would woo the female but it would take some time. When Sesshomaru calmed he opened his amber pools and nodded his assent.

Hitomi hugged her daughter and bowed to the demon lord as they left the house, hoping things would work out between the two. She had a feeling that she would have a son-in-law fairly soon.

When they arrived at the car, Kagome asked Sesshomaru if he wanted to go by her apartment first to eat or would he rather go shopping first.

"I am not needing to eat at this time," was the demon's response.

"Shopping it is!" Kagome smiled as they both got into the car. Sesshomaru watched as Kagome put on the seatbelt and he followed suit. She was grateful he seemed to pick up on things quickly. She figured he'd be a quick study for anything.

Kagome started the car and entered traffic making her way to the shopping district. Sesshomaru sat quietly, his keen eyes taking in all of the sites from a whole new view. His eyesight had gotten better and he could feel the strength return to his body. He knew things had returned to the way he had been before the curse.

They arrived at their destination and parked the car. Before getting out, Kagome asked Sesshomaru if there was any way to conceal his markings. "We can always explain them as tattoos, but I think the less attention we draw the better."

He understood and closed his eyes and concentrated. Within moments his crescent, maroon stripes and eye markings were concealed.

"Better?" he asked and she nodded.

They exited and locked the car. Kagome knew where she wanted to go and pulled Sesshomaru around by the hand unaware that the demon was enjoying the simple touch of her hand in his.

They stopped in a men's store and Kagome pulled a number of pairs of pants and shirts for Sesshomaru to try on, unaware of the stares she and her shadow were receiving. Sesshomaru wasn't as oblivious, his keen senses always on alert for danger. He knew that they were being watched by the other females as well as males that were in the store. Some of them were even whispering things that he would not repeat to Kagome.

Before Sesshomaru went into the dressing room, Kagome handed him a pair of boxers blushing as she did. "Um, you need to put these on under your pants. They're like a loincloth, just um thinner," Kagome explained looking anywhere but at the male in front of her.

For the first time since his transformation Sesshomaru smirked and chuckled at Kagome's obvious embarrassment. The sound made her look up at him and she saw the slight tilt of his lip in dare she say a smile?

Sesshomaru gathered the boxers and the clothing to try on and went into the dressing room, still chuckling at the slightly mortified female. He enjoyed making her blush, even if he didn't actually cause it. He loved the way her face blossomed in color.

Kagome found an overstuffed chair next to the dressing room and plopped down on it in. What had happened? Why did she feel these feelings? What was it that she was feeling? Before she could think further, Sesshomaru exited the dressing room and stood before her.

She thought he was attractive before but nothing prepared her for Sesshomaru in dark blue jeans. They were straight-legged and hung at his hips just right accenting his tight backside. He wore a ribbed burgundy t-shirt tucked in that hugged his arms, chest and abs leaving nothing to the imagination.

'Holy hell! He should be arrested for being so sexy!' she thought to herself.

"Yeah, that'll do. Try on the next outfit," she told him trying to pass it off as acceptable, yet her body tightened in arousal.

The inu sensed it and smiled as he turned away to change.

Sesshomaru had tried on many outfits and by the time they were done, Kagome was in a state of permanent tension. Her hormones and her mind were running away from her and she didn't know what to do. The pair gathered the clothing, more boxer, socks and even a couple of pairs of shoes before checking out.

As they loaded Kagome's car with their packages, a familiar voice called out, "Kagome!"

She closed the trunk of her car and looked up to see Hojo running up to her. The boy gathered her in his arms and hugged her, swinging her around making Kagome laugh before she was put back down on her feet. Before she knew it Sesshomaru had the boy's neck in his hand and his body against her car while he growled at a stunned Hojo.

Seeing Sesshomaru go feral on the boy, eyes beginning to bleed red, Kagome firmly ordered, "Drop it! Sesshomaru you put him down now!"

Sesshomaru wasn't sure what to do but hearing his female order him to let go of the offending male was not what he wanted to do.

"I mean it Sesshomaru. He's a friend. Put Hojo down now!"

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and calmed himself before reopening them and letting the boy down. Gently. It wouldn't do to upset his female more than she already was.

Kagome stood in front of Sesshomaru and 'eeped' when a steel arm wrapped around her waste and a nose found its way at her neck and shoulder being gently licked and sucked on.

"Haha, sorry about that Hojo," she tried to laugh it off letting the dog behind her continue his ministrations to her neck and shoulder. "My boyfriend is a bit possessive, please forgive him. He's been out of town for months to only have just returned."

"Oh. He's your boyfriend?" Hojo questioned and then began rubbing the back of his neck in nervousness. "I completely understand. I'm sorry…?"

"His name is Sesshomaru. And I think we need to get going, but it was great seeing you Hojo!" Kagome gently tried to dismiss the guy hoping he wouldn't harbor any bad feelings.

Or press charges.

Kagome stood there in the parking lot as she allowed the demon behind her continue to rub his face over his shoulder, inhaling her scent. When he finally pulled back, she turned around and smacked him on the shoulder.

"What the hell was that? Hojo could have gone to security and had the police called for attacking him! What you did was no better than the mugger that attacked me!" she yelled at him with tears in her eyes and aura flaring in anger. It was the first time he had seen her miko Ki blaze that way in centuries.

She was angry as she got into the car and put her seatbelt on and closed the car door. Sesshomaru slowly entered the car and closed the door. They both sat there as Kagome got her anger under control. Sesshomaru watched her from the corner of his eye looking for the telltale signs of calming before saying anything.

When her Ki simmered to a shimmer around her body Sesshomaru spoke.

"I am sorry Kagome."

Her forehead had been resting on the steering wheel and upon hearing the apology her head shot up. "What?"

"This one apologizes for having attacked the boy and causing you embarrassment."

The fact that he reverted to the third person for the first time since his transformation, was telling. He was sorry.

"Try not to attack my male friends Sesshomaru. Fortunately, I don't have many but those I do just please…" she implored. "I don't want to see you to get arrested."

"Feeble human jails will not hold this Sesshomaru," he scoffed.

"That's not the point, Sesshomaru!" she yelled unapologetically. Then quieted down before she opened up, "I don't know what I would do without you in my life. You're the only one that was there. The only person who saw what I did and can talk to me about it," she told him. "Do you know how hard it is for me to keep my experiences in the Feudal Era to myself? To not have anyone by my family to talk to about it? They weren't there, Sesshomaru. You were! You're all that I have left!" she sobbed out before completely breaking down into tears.

Sesshomaru unbuckled his seatbelt got out of the car and went to her side. He opened the door, unbuckled her belt and pulled her out of the car shutting the door after him. He gathered her in his arms picking her up bridal style and walked to an empty area. He flared his senses searching for anyone close by and found no one. He then gathered his youki and transformed he and Kagome into his ball of light taking them to another place to talk.


	8. Take a bow

When Sesshomaru found the destination he sought, he landed on the ground and transformed from his light orb to his humanoid form with Kagome still held in his arms. He stood in front of the opening of a cave, the cave that had once housed his half-brother.

'Inuyasha. I still feel your spirit here,' Sesshomaru thought to himself while expanding his youki to check for animals or other vagrants that may have taken over. He closed his eyes and took a deep cleansing breath of fresh air inordinately grateful to be out of the city and away from the pollution for once. It had been a long time since he'd been away from the city.

Sesshomaru noticed his burden the moment the shaking began. "Kagome?"

There was no response.

He ran a clawed hand along the back of her head and through her hair, bringing it around and under her chin as he gently pried her from his chest. He nudged her chin up to reveal her terrified eyes that had dilated to the point of being nothing but black.

She was in shock.

He figured the involuntary trip across the country in his orb might not have been a terribly wise idea, but he felt it necessary to take her away from the noise and distractions that had surrounded them. She needed to talk. He needed to explain.

She needed to clarify her actions at the shopping district for his sanity. Did she consider him a boyfriend or was it a means to get rid of that annoying male?

Sesshomaru cupped her cheek and gently stroked it as he stared into her glossy black eyes. He could tell she wasn't there yet and he knew he needed to bring her out of the shock. He dismissed the idea of slapping her as he felt it was unnecessary since she wasn't showing signs of hysteria. Instead, he slowly lowered his head towards hers his warm thin lips meeting hers in a quick greeting. Pulling back and checking for a response to find none, he went in for another pass but putting more pressure in the kiss this time.

This time when he slowly pulled away he saw a little recognition in Kagome's eyes, a flicker in their depths as the pupils began to recede leaving an outer ring of blue iris. He was holding back, his instincts clamoring for more but he knew it was too soon to try to initiate more. There were things that had to be worked through first. When he noticed that her lips parted slightly he took it as invitation before trying one more time to bring some life back to her.

His lips met hers hesitantly only to feel hers respond against his just as cautiously. When a quiet moan came from low within her throat Sesshomaru went in for the kill.

Lips met in controlled fervor, each party unsure of the others' feelings as fire flowed through their veins. Tongues met fighting for dominance and then calmed relishing in the taste and texture of each other.

Finally pulling apart, as breathing was necessary, Kagome tried to pull away only to find that she had gone a little weak in the knees and swayed a bit. She blushed as Sesshomaru caught her before she embarrassed herself even more by falling to the ground. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Are you well Kagome?" Sesshomaru asked knowing she was most likely a little dazed from their prior activities. Kagome took a deep cleansing breath and nodded her head. "Just a little dazed from that trip through the ozone," she told him avoiding the subject of their recent lip lock. "Was that your youki orb you used? Next time warn a girl, would ya? I felt like my whole body was compressed really tight and then released again," she complained. "Not a fun trip," she grumbled.

"Hn, and here I thought it was the kiss that made you weak," Sesshomaru countered golden eyes darkening with some unfamiliar emotion. "Seems this one is in need of practice if that was not what almost brought you to your knees."

Kagome didn't miss the look in his eyes but their current location made her wonder where they were, which she voiced. Sesshomaru looked towards the cave opening and walked into it without answering the question with Kagome following closely behind.

What Kagome saw in the dim light of the cavern were what looked like the remains of old furs and blankets; it looked like a place someone had slept. There was a fire pit close by that didn't look like it had been used in ages and bits of clay pottery and maybe some baskets used to hold items in them. There were rocks near the pit that looked to have been flattened either by nature or by force, but looked to be crude chairs. Kagome wiped one down so she could sit.

"Do you still harbor feelings for the hanyou even after all of the years that have passed?" was the quiet question that emanated from the demon standing nearby. He didn't look at her when he asked but he was very much aware of her response just from how her aura spoke.

Kagome was a little stunned by the question but she couldn't be too surprised by it. She figured he would want to know especially after what had recently transpired between them. But that would mean that he….. "I haven't felt the same in a long time, Sesshomaru," she started. "When I was sent back to my time I left my feelings for Inuyasha in the Feudal Era. That isn't to say it didn't hurt and that I didn't miss him, but I knew that I had to move on. I had to let go of him," she told him as she stared at her hands that had become very interesting all of a sudden.

Sesshomaru sat down on the seat that was next to her and he began telling her what had happened to Inuyasha, how he had met another human female that surprisingly looked nothing like Kikyou or Kagome, nor had she been a miko. The young woman had been widowed having lost her husband in a random attack by bandits. The only reason she survived and hadn't been raped was because they had a false floor in their home that she managed to stow away in. Inuyasha and Miroku had been the ones to come to her rescue having just finished an extermination in another town. After the bandits had been dealt with and the husband buried, Inuyasha had scented the female out and called out to her.

Because they were male, the woman refused to make a noise or come out of her hiding place causing Inuyasha to run and gather the rather pregnant Sango to convince the fearful woman to leave her hidey-hole. Sango had managed to convince her that they were not going to harm her while Inuyasha stood off to the side disinterested, his arms crossed and hidden within his fire rat haori. His indifference quickly turned to fascination when the golden-haired female came out from under the house.

Fascination turned into affection. Affection turned to love. In just under a year they had mated and shortly thereafter their first pup was expected. It would have been a happy time for them except that Inuyasha's mate died in childbirth, taking their son with her.

It was devastating for the hanyou. He disappeared shortly after the burial and hadn't been heard of or seen by the inhabitants of Edo. He never came back to the sight of his greatest losses. First Kikyou and the betrayal by Naraku. Then there was Kagome who was taken away from him because she was not of his world. Then his mate and pup.

"When I met up with Inuyasha for the last time it was after the bombing in World War II. This is where I found him," he explained.

Kagome really didn't want to know more about Inuyasha. She figured he must have died from the fallout from the bombings, which Sesshomaru told her to be true. "What about Miroku and Sango? Shippo? Is he still alive?" Kagome had to ask.

"The slayer and monk continued their life in Edo and had many children. I am sure that their descendants continue to live in this day," he told her. "As for the kit, I am unsure what happened to him. He managed to disappear and leave no trace after you left," he paused before continuing. "However, there were rumors of a powerful kitsune that would aid villages and travelers, fighting off bandits or demons who would attack with no provocation. He would steal from the overly wealthy, whether it be coin or food, and give it to the villages that had suffered with poor harvests or neglect by their rulers. He would be termed what you nowadays would call a 'Robin Hood'."

Kagome smiled truly proud of her little kitsune. "What ever happened to Rin?"

Sesshomaru sighed quietly which Kagome saw as distress. Placing her hand on his arm she told him, "If you don't want to talk about it that's fine, Sesshomaru. But sometimes talking about it brings a little relief from the pain."

He refused to look at her. She was right but it didn't make it any easier.

"I failed her. I didn't protect her like I should have," he whispered.

"How did you fail in protecting her, Sesshomaru?" Kagome pressed.

"There was a terrible illness that plagued the land. I felt that keeping her at the citadel she wouldn't be susceptible to contracting the disease. But I was wrong," he hesitated before continuing. "While demons were not vulnerable to the plague they were able to carry it. Jaken had frequented a local human village to gather supplies for Rin. That village had contracted the disease and Jaken brought it back with him. That is how she became sick."

"I'm so sorry Sesshomaru," she whispered out and just couldn't stop herself. She hugged the demon by wrapping her arms around his slender waist. He in turn wrapped his arms around her relishing the contact.

She began to cry in his arms, cried for the loss he had been dealt with the death of the girl that was like a daughter to him. She cried for the loss of his only brother.

She cried for him.

Sesshomaru held the girl in his arms as she poured out her tears, dropping his chin to the top of her head and surrounding her in his presence. It hurt him to know that she was taking his own pain so hard and it went against his instincts to cause her harm. Besides, he hated her tears. It broke something within him and upset his beast.

Kagome's tears finally subsided making Sesshomaru and his frantic beast very happy. She sniffled as she looked around for something to wipe her eyes and ended up using her sleeve. Her nose would just have to wait – she so was not going to wipe her nose on herself!

"Are you okay?" Kagome timidly asked as she looked up at the male that held her.

A small smile graced his lips as he placed a gentle kiss on hers, causing a light pink to suffuse her cheeks. "I am very well, thank you."

"So when are you going to tell me how you were able to change back to your humanoid form, Sesshomaru?" Kagome pestered.

Deciding that she was not going to give up on that subject, the demon came clean. "The one that placed the curse on me had wanted this Sesshomaru for herself. As a mate," he grimaced. "You were correct in your assumptions, Kagome. She cursed me for refusing her advances and since this one was not a being of emotions, the curse could only break if I felt something other than hate for a being."

"Sesshomaru you're being vague. What do you mean 'feel something other than hate'?" Kagome pushed.

He closed his eyes as he spoke, "I must fall in love." There. He said it.

Kagome's eyes widened at that. "Fall in love?" she quietly asked.

Sesshomaru's eyes flew open, a golden fire burning in them as he told her in a deep thrumming baritone, "Yes, fall in love. I have fallen in love with you Kagome." He moved in taking advantage of her awed look and open mouth by kissing her once again, emphasizing just how much he felt for her.

When they pulled away for air, Sesshomaru took in Kagome's flushed appearance. He had hoped it was not only for his ability to rob her of breath but because she at least was beginning to feel the same way for him.

Kagome opened her eyes and smiled timidly as she felt the telltale signs of a blush flooding her cheeks. A gentle rumble thrummed through Sesshomaru's chest in response to the female's response to him. But he had to know how she felt about him.

"Kagome," he began as he rested his forehead on hers. "This-I have told you of my feelings toward you. Could you find it in your heart to feel something for me?" he asked with an uncertain voice.

To say she was stunned by his admission would be accurate but she was actually relieved. He did have feelings and those feelings were directed towards her. Thinking back to the feelings she had been experiencing more and more over the last day or so since his change and her recent reaction to Hojo, she knew what the answer was.

"Yes Sesshomaru. I do love you," she beamed at him as her cheeks turned a rosy glow from her admission.

Sesshomaru gathered her in his arms with her back to him as they continued to sit within the cave and held her while his beast did a happy dance within his mind. Sesshomaru crooned out his acceptance of her words. "I am glad that you have accepted me, Kagome," he told her as he nuzzled her neck enjoying her natural scent and couldn't wait to mark her as his mate.

There would be things that needed to be worked out before they became mates. He felt that she deserved a proper courting and a mate that could support her even though she made enough on her own.

He had hoped that the stores of jewels and gold that had been buried away in hiding would still be where he had left them and knew that that would be one of the first courting gifts he would give her. The ability to provide.

He looked at the onna sitting in his lap and smiled his first real smile since he could remember and was happy. He felt he could take a bow to the applause of his father and half-brother for accepting the human in his arms so fully and without disdain. He had truly learned his lesson.

Sesshomaru felt confident that things would work between he and Kagome and realistic that while it wouldn't be perfect, they would love each other through it all. He looked forward to their many years to come and the joys and rewards that they would see.

He was finally at peace and for the first time in his long life, he was in love.

The End.


End file.
